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Tao of J.T.: Zeitgeist From a Thrillerchick is the online blog of New York Times bestselling author and EMMY-award winning television host J.T. Ellison. On the Tao, J.T. dishes on life as a creative entrepreneur, notebook lover, and herder of cats.

Two years ago May 1, Nashville was hit by a flood of biblical proportion. It is fitting that the first book in my new series, A DEEPER DARKNESS, is releasing so near the second anniversary. I'm so excited to share this book with you, my first foray away from Taylor Jackson.

The past few weeks leading into the release have been rather amazing, and I have a boatload of good news to share.

First, the print and audio editions of A DEEPER DARKNESS are on sale now. The electronic edition for your Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Sony Reader, iPad, etc., goes on sale Tuesday, May 1. I am thrilled to share that the novel has been chosen an Indie Next Pick for May. This is an amazing honor, and I am so excited! Our independent booksellers have been the lifeblood of my career from day one, and to have this happen for Samantha's first foray is incredibly exciting. And I've just learned that A DEEPER DARKNESS is a Publishers Weekly Pick for this week! I am floored.

A DEEPER DARKNESS is also a Top Pick from Romantic Timesthis month. Part of the review reads: "A gut-wrenching tale that rings with emotional resonance and heart amidst the thrills,A DEEPER DARKNESS ranks as Ellison's best book yet. Her amazing streak of great thrillers continues." I am so happy that they loved it. Publishers Weekly called A DEEPER DARKNESS, "(A) scintillating first in a new forensic series." Suffice it to say I am very, very happy to see this first Samantha Owens novel being well-received!

We have some serious momentum building behind this novel. So I have a favor to ask of you. If you haven't already, please order your book today. These first few weeks are vital to the life of the book. And if you like it, please share it with your friends through recommendations on your Facebook pages, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc. And if you're so inclined, leave a review on the sites as well. Your support helps me continue writing stories, giving you new books to read. Thank you so much for all your help spreading the word about A DEEPER DARKNESS!

Is that enough for you? Well, hang on, because there's more. And it's HUGE! WHERE ALL THE DEAD LIE has been nominated for a 2012 RITA® Award for Best Romantic Suspense. When I got the call from Romance Writers of America® (RWA) I was completely speechless. I still am. The awards ceremony is in Anaheim, California in late July, at a gala black-tie event. I can't wait to go to RWA, and will let you know what happens. Regardless, the honor of being nominated in the romance field is major for me. I'm up against some incredible writers, and to be mentioned in their company literally brought me to tears.

Tour Dates

In addition to my visit to California, I'm also touring a bit for A DEEPER DARKNESS. Things kick off tonight at Reading Rock Books in Dickson, Tennessee, and Thursday evening I am hosting a live video chat online. I wish I could come to every store in every market, but since that's not feasible, the video chat is a chance for those of you outside the local area to hear the stories that went into writing A DEEPER DARKNESS. I hope to see you at one of these events:

April 17, 3pm EST Live on Cover to Cover Sirius/XM Book Radio Channel 80

From me to you, as an added thank you to being a loyal reader of this newsletter, I am instituting a quarterly giveaway. Since this one is at the same time as a book release, I'm going to give away a few things. Don't worry, I've done all the work for you already, by picking winners at random from this mailing list.

First Place: Dan Elam Signed Copy of the divine Allison Brennan's new Lucy Kincaid novel, SILENCED, also a Romantic Times Top Pick, and on sale April 24.

Second Place: Shirley Farris Signed copy of your choice of backlist titles in the Taylor Jackson series

Melissa, Dan and Shirley, you have until April 30 to get in touch with your address, or your prize goes back in the pot for another to win.

Enjoy your treats!

LOVE IS MURDER!

I have a brand new short story in this amazing anthology, which just received a STARRED Review from Publishers Weekly. Prepare for heart-racing suspense in this original collection by thirty of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing romance suspense today. My contribution, THE NUMBER OF MAN is a love story, of sorts. Love twisted, love that hurts. Love that is unrequited, unwanted, and definitely not nice.

My break from blogging has been a real help to my fiction. So while I'm not out there as often, you can still find me in several places across the web, including occasional updates to my blog on the site - Tao of JT, on Twitter under the handle @thrillerchick, and on Facebook.

Thank you so much for all your support! You mean to the world to me. See you on the road!